Solidified fuel and process of making the same



A. B. RAY

July 2s, 1931.l

SOLIDIFIED FUEL AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Nov. 29, 1927 lvJlllvflllJlnnlllillnllanni.lllunllubhllnl'una Patented July 28, 1931 PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR B. RAY, OF BAYSIDE, NEW 'YORK SOLIDIFIED FUEL AND PROCESS 0F MAKING THE SAME Application led November 29, 1927. Serial No. 236,392.

My invention relates to a solidified fuel containing a non-saponifiable combustible normally existing in the liquid state. In particular the invention relates to the production of solidified fuels in which the principal combustible constituent is alcohol or hydrocarbon liquids, such as gasoline, kerosene, benzene, etc., or a mixture of two or more of these combustible materials.`

Solidified fuels of this general character which have heretofore been placed on the market have been characterized by the use as the solidifying agent of a base of nitrated cotton or pyroxylin in which alcohol or other combustible liquid is held. In order to insure afrainst premature and undue liquefaction of the fuel during burning, it is necessary that the proportion of pyroxylin to alcohol be relatively large. Such fuels are objectionable because of the fact that the pyroxylin in burning tends to flare or flash up and occasionally sparks are thrown from the burning mass for a considerable distance, thus giving rise to a very real fire hazard. Also, as the alcohol-pyroxylin material is consumed.l the height of the flame above the top ofthe can varies and the flame burns unsteadily or flickers because of the unsatisfactory air supply to thematerial burning deep down in the container. This progressive lowering of the fiame in the container is decidedly objectionable. It has been proposed to decrease the arnount of pyroxylin required to keep the alcohol in`a solidified condition by substituting for a portion thereof cane pith or a similar non-fibrous cellulosic material. However, the cane pith alone will not absorb all of the alcohol required to form a satisfactory fuel and hold it in solidified form. Consequently the pro ortion of py- `roxylin re uired, even when t e cane pith is used, is su ciently large tocause the objectionable burning characteristics of pyroxylin to be noticeable when the fuel is used.

It is an aim of my invention to produce a solidified fuel composed largely of alcohol or a hydrocarbon liquid which will burn smoothly and freely without sputtering or emission of sparks, which in burning does o not liquefy prematurely' or to an undue degree and which permits the zone of combustion to be always maintained at or near the top of the container where air has ready access. A further object of my invention is to produce' a solidified fuel unit which when ignited tends to burn with a steady, uniform localized flame, thus permitting of concentration of the heat evolved and the application thereof for useful purposes. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

According to the present invention a highly absorbent, porous filler is incorporated with a mixture of a non-acidic, non-saponifiable, inflammable liquid and an alkali soap of a heavy fatty acid, such for example as stearic or palmitic acid. The inflammable liquid is preferably solidified by the process described in my U. S. Patent N o. 1,484,190, and it will be understood that the various liquid fuels and the various modifications of the procedure for bringing about solidifcation therein disclosed may be applied in producing a solidified fuel according to the present invention. A combustible filler is preferred, although a highlyinflammable material or one that tends to burn with explosive violence or to emit sparks is to be avoided. The comminuted filler may be added to the liquid fuel before solidilication or the .liquid may be poured into containers in which the filler in comminuted or coherent form has been arranged or molded in a. suitable manner. It is desirable that the filler hold together and so remainin position in the container after the solidified fuelhas been partly consumed. Fibrous materials tend to 'form a coherent mat or mass which is further held together by residual framework of .soap left behind as the fuel is consumed. ln some cases a small amount of a suitable binding material such as resin, gum, water glass etc. ma'y be introduced to keep the filler' in a satisfactory coherent mass. If desired, the filler may be held in position in the container by means of a screen or otherY mechanical support. Because the filler has a very high porosity the reduction in amount of solidi fied fuel which can be placed in a container is small. Furthermore it is not necessary nor.y

usually desirable to distribute the filler throughout the entire mass of solidified liquid. I have found that particularly good results are obtained if the fuel is distributed in the container so that there are spaces filled only with the solidified fuel.

Preferred forms of my solidied fuel unit are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a solidified fuel unit consisting of a central core of the solidified fuel unmixed with filler, such core being surrounded b-y additional solidified fuel mixed with an absorbent filler;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a modification in which instead of providing a single core centrally disposed in the filler mass, a plurality of cores or plugs of solidified fuel unmixed with filler are arranged at spaced distances in the solidified fuel-ller mass.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, 1 indicates a suitable metal container and 2 a body of the solidified materials having substantially uniformly dispersed therethrough a suitable absorbent filler. In Figs. 1 and 2 a centrally-disposed corel?) of solidified fuel unmixed with filler is shown, whereas in Fig. 3 a plurality of smaller plugs or zones 3a characterized,l by the absence of absorbent filler are provided. 4

As indicated above, it is preferred that a combustible but not a violently combustible filler, be used. Materials which possessthe desired absorbent and other properties above indicated are wood fibre, Wood pulp, wood iour, cotton fibre, cane pith, corn stalk pith, dry peat, balsa wood, cellulose, bark, charcoal and carbon. It will also be understood that certain non-combustible materials may be used advantageously. For some purposes and with some fuels such materials may be preferred. Examples of such materials which ma be used successfully are mineral wool an asbestos fibre. Of the non-combustible materials, mineral wool has been used with especially good resultsfk The combustion of the solidified fuel and 50 the filler, where a. combustible filler is used,

may be promoted, if desired, by impregnating the filler, or the fuel before incorporation therewith, with a suitable oxidizing agent or oxygen-containing compound, such for in- 55 stance as ammonium nitrate.

The type of material, its physical form, and method of placing in the container will be determined by the kind of solidified fuel, shape and size of container, and the manner 60 of using the fuel. A specific example may be described as follows:

Denatured alcohol is heated to approximately 70 C. and 3% of its weight of stearic acid is dissolved in it. Then approximately 65 the theoretical amount of sodium hydroxide example, 8-oz. friction top cans, each con-` taining approximately 1/2 oz. of comminuted cane pith. This amount of cane pith approximately fills the can but it has such high porl osity and absorbent properties that its actual displacement volume is very small. When the mixture of liquid and filler cools a solid mass results which is an excellent solidified fuel. A solidified fuel unit having even more satisfactory burning properties is produced if a rod or similar member of approximately an inch in diameter is placed in the middle of the can, either While the material is hot and before solidification or before the hot liquid fuel and soap solidifier are introduced, and maintained in position until the fuel is solidified, when it is removed and the hole which it leaves is filled with more hot liquid fuel a'nd soap solidifier.

When the fuel unit is first ignited the core of solid fuel without filler vaporizes more readily than the surrounding fuel with filler so the flame resulting from the combustion of the unit is concentrated in the region of the core. Any liquid formed during the combustion of the core of fuel without filler is immediately absorbed by the surrounding mass of porous filler. As the combustion of the unit proceeds the height of the core decreases and an increasingly large surface of the surrounding mass of fuel with filler is exposed. Vaporization of the fuel is thus facilitated and since the larger part of the fuel is vaporized from the walls of the core space the flame resulting from the combustion of this vapor remains concentrated in the region of the core space after the oore has been consumed.

It will be understood that the porous filler not only absorbs any liquid which may be formed but that it also tends to act on the principle of a wick to cause the alcohol or other liquid fuel, as the combustion proceeds, to move from the interior portions of the filler mass to the surface where combustion is taking place. Where it is desired to maintain the combustion Zone at a level approximately that of the surface of the fuel when the container is completely filled before combustion is initiated, it may be desirable to use a non-combustible filler, in which case combustion will continue near the top of the can and the fuel will be diused to the ex-h posed surface for combustion until the fuel is exhausted.

But even when a combustible filler is used the flame level is not materially lowered as long as the fuel is being freely vaporized from the surface ofthe filler. A slight lowering of the level will be caused by the charring and consequent shrinkage of cellufiller is provided.

losic fillers but it is only afterlpractically all i free burning of the fuel, particularly when a central zone ory core'of fuel unmixed with The filler has the further advantage that it acts in some measure as an insulating material lto prevent the rapid conduction of heat to the whole mass of fuel and to the bottom and walls of the container. Because oftheir higher heat value and lower cost gasoline, kerosene, benzol or other liquid hy rocarbons are'preferred in some cases. In these cases it will be understood that the formation of the stearate or other soap solidifier is preferably brought about by the use of a solution of caustic soda in a water-alcohol mixture, as described more particularly in my earlier patent above mentioned. It will also be unerstood that, instead of using substantially pure stearic acid, the commercial acid containing impurities up to 20%, such as palmitic acid, ma be employed. Also while stearic acid is pre erred, palmitic acid may be I used if desired. Various modifications in .f the details of the procedure outlined and the proportions ofthe various constituents of the solldlfied fuel,l as for example the filler, stearate or other soap solidifier, etc., may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention, whichfis not to be deemed as limited other than as indicated in the appended claims.

at I claim is: A solidified fuel unit comprising a mass of solidified fuel having 'an absorbent filler uniformly distributed throughout certain portions thereof, and localized portions in which the fuel is unmixed with filler, said ortions defining centralized areas of comustion.

2. A solidified fuel unit comprising a mass of solidied fuel-havingan absorbent filler v uniformly distributed therethrough, and

ymeans for concentrating the flame during combustion ofvsaid fuel, said means comprising a body of solidified fuel unmixed with filler and disposed in operative relation to the said mass.

3. A solidified fuel unit comprising a container, an absorbent filler disposed Within said container, .a solidified fuel held by said filler, and means for localizing and centering the-fiame during combustion of said fuel to a limited portion of the exposed surface of the fuel in said container, said means comprisinga core of solidified fuel unmixed with filler and extending from said exposed surface inwardly of the fuel mass.

4. Process of making a solidified fuel unit which comprises adding to a heated, nonacidic, nonfsaponifiable, organic liquid, a

small amount of a heavyfatty acid whos-e alkali soap is solid at ordinary temperatures, saponifying said acid by adding a solution of an alkali in water-alcohol mixture, intimately admixing the resulting mixture while hot with an absorbent ller, and permitting the final admixture to cool.

5. Process ofmaking a solidified fuel unit which comprises forming a mixture of a nonsaponifiable combustible, organic liquid and an alkali soap of a heavy fatty acid, bringing aportion of said mixture while heated to a fiuid state into admixture with the mass of porous, absorbent filler material, defining openings in said mass and after the said mixture has solidified in said filler, filling said openings with additional solidified fuel unmixed with ller. v

6. A solidified fuel unit comprising a container, an absorbent filler impregnated with solidified fuel disposed therein, and a cre of solidified fuel substantially free from ler.

' 7. A 'solidified fuel unit comprising a container, a fibrous absorbent filler impregnated with solidified fuel disposed therein, and a (io'e of solidified fuel substantially free from l er.

8. A solidified fuel unit comprising a substantially cylindrical container, an annular mass of absorbent ller disposed therein and impregnated with solidified fuel, and a central core vof solidified fuel'substantially free from filler disposed within said annular mass of filler. ,I

l 9. A solidified fuel unit comprising a substantially cylindrical container, an annular mass of absorbent, heat insulating, filler disposed therein adjacent .the wall of' said container and impregnated with solidified fuel, and a central core of solidified fuel substantially free from filler disposed within said annular mass of filler.

10. A fuel unit comprisin a container; a filler and solidified fuel, said ller being composed of a porous mass of coherent non-combustible fibres having at least one substanname to this specification this 23d day of Nov., 1927.

ARTHUR B. RAY. 

